Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Imagine I put up a chalkboard in the middle of town, and offer people the opportunity to write things. If you write something I don't like, I can wipe it off.

You can then go to another chalkboard and write exactly the same thing again. But I can't wipe it off because it is not my chalkboard.

You have freedom of speech but not to say absolutely anything anywhere.

You want to say something that no-one will let remain on their chalkboards? Get your own and use that.
It’s funny how some people want freedom of speech to say what ever they want but forget that it’s also a freedom of expression, intention or opinion to remove the words that were said.

On the other hand corporations have different obligations to follow of course, but can provide rules in their forums that it’s users should to follow. Or need to accrue trust before having access to certain areas or to post in those areas.

Some people think they can do what ever they want in this world. And that’s where it starts to become anarchy or better put … freedumb.
 
How Apple managed to patent something like this is a bit mind-boggling. This is not a new concept - not by at least a decade.

This design certainly makes it more clear why Apple are so adamant at not allowing side-loading on iOS devices. They are working toward a future where there is no Mac OS. There will be iOS which looks, feels, and acts like Mac OS, but which lacks the openness of Mac OS.

The days of installing whatever you want on your computer without Apple's blessing are numbered.
 
Agreed. I’m hoping Mark Gurman is correct and there are essentially three modes: Touch first available by default on every iPad, an Apple Pencil mode that supports more precise input, and a ‘Pro’ mode that is enabled when the device is paired to Magic Keyboard or external keyboard/mouse that gives us floating windows and a more Dex-like or macOS like experience. I would be totally happy with a full desktop experience on my iPad Pro so that I could completely disconnect from macOS.
And that last bit is exactly why this won’t be a macOS replacement. It may be somewhat closer to a desktop experience but it won’t be the full monty.
 
I would love this thing. iPad Pro is perfect for what I need it for. Studying, researching, reading and watching films. I have an 11” IPP and it’s good for carrying in my pack as well. I won’t get an MPB again or for a while. But this add-on would be very useful.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GuruZac
This is great.

Yet, I am struck by the fact that Apple keeps refusing to add touchscreen to Mac computers. Which is mystifying as much software can be compiled for either iOS or Mac OS.

With the Touch Bar retired... it's time to bring touch screen to some laptops as an option at least.
 
Fairly sure we could invalidate this patent by showing that this idea was postulated many times over on this very forum as soon as Apple announced Apple Silicon and was therefore not novel.
 
IMHO, this should have been done 2 years ago. I've been begging for something like this that is not a Surface Book Pro running Windows.

My 2019 12.3" iPad Pro already has more hardware than 98% iPadOS needs. Having the iPad and Mac both on M1 justifies a hybrid machine, iPadOS when in "hand", MacOS when in "dock". Makes sense, but should have been made in 2020 or something.
 
In samsung world is called DEX. Its about time you can use an ipad or iphone as a small desktop computer when needed. Altrough it wont happen with the actual lightning port (usb 2.0 speeds)
 
I would pay big bucks if it just were a dual boot device: iPad OS when solo, attach it to a keyboard and mouse/trackpad (whether laptop or desktop) and full MacOS...make it so Number One!
 
  • Like
Reactions: whatta
Apple: we will never make MacBooks with touch screens!
Also Apple: we will make iPads into MacBooks.
(I know, I know it is not exactly that and that is an over-simplification but...)
?‍♂️

Makes sense to me. In a laptop, the control surfaces are horizontal in front of you where your hands can work well with them. If you start trying to use a vertical control surface in front of you (like a touch screen laptop or a tablet propped up like one) it's a horrible ergonomic setup.

The physical setup of the iPad could let you in theory have the best of both worlds: in tablet mode, it's probably at a low, hand-friendly angle like your laptop keyboard is, so you'll want a touch-first UI like iPadOS. When you're using it in laptop mode with the screen more vertical and using a keyboard + trackpad/mouse, you'll want to use a UI that takes advantage of that, more akin to MacOS.

A typical laptop is optimized for the keyboard and can't lie flat like a tablet. So what you don't want (or, I know I sure as hell don't) is to take a MacBook and stick a touchscreen on it, disregarding how much it's going to suck to use and how poorly MacOS would work that way.
 
This is ironic, given Apple's public stance on [sic] "We will not produce a touch-capable Mac" (in essence, this is what they are providing here). When in fact, they had been toying with the idea all along apparently. HP is ahead of the game with this. Personally, I think at least the Macbooks should be touch-capable.
 
I wonder if this means that we'd see the release of a 14-inch iPad. The 12.9 inch seems about like the smallest version that would be usable as a full-blown portable. Maybe the 11-inch if we want to revisit the netbook days.
 
Soooooo basically Samsung DEX.

Windows 8 tried it….

……BADLY

Windows 10 made the Tablet Mode easier, but it looks like ?for some apps.

This isn’t easy. Some apps that try to look good in windowed desktop mode and tablet mode will probably piss off a lot of their base.
 
Everybody stop buying an iPad for a year or two and Tim will soon give us MacOS on Tablet ?
 
Proper (desktop like) external monitor support has been the biggest lacking feature of iPad imo. Let’s hope it comes with iPadOS 16 AND with any Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, not only a limited set of apple keyboards please. We already have the same CPU/SoC performance, app compatibility (iPad/Mac) so adding this feature is very well prepared..

And I also hope for horizontal selfie camera ?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Shifts
This is exactly what I have been wanting. Obviously, similar solutions out there, but Apple has (IMO) the best desktop and touch experiences. It makes sense to have variations when in certain settings, and not try to create one singular environment and half ass the implementation. Touch is still crap with Windows.

Meh, everyone's user experience is different so I don't really want to discount yours, but Windows works quite well in a touch paradigm, I use it this way every day. That tired old excuse of having the "best" touch and desktop experiences is IMO just Apple's way of convincing customers they need two separate devices.

If anything Apple convinced me I need a converged device like a Surface Pro because I can't get the same functionality out of a Macbook or an iPad, especially if I have to cart both of them around. Having to carry both and switch between them IMO is just about the "worst" touch and desktop experience around.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jakey rolling
I wonder if this means that we'd see the release of a 14-inch iPad. The 12.9 inch seems about like the smallest version that would be usable as a full-blown portable. Maybe the 11-inch if we want to revisit the netbook days.

I'd love to see larger, maybe even 17". I had a Dell 18" tablet and it was pretty awesome.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.